The Parenting Project
by SwampTreader
Summary: Data takes home an electronic baby doll from his Family Sciences class...  A short story involving Data and an OC   Enjoy!


"No, Data, like this," Henley said repositioning the life-like baby doll in Data's arms.

"Ah, to portray a loving embrace," he said in his soft voice. Henley nodded and grabbed the diaper bag off the floor. The two naturally fell in step once they were in the corridor.

"You're sure you won't need any help tonight?"

"I do not require sleep so I will be able to attend to the needs of Jenny throughout the night."

"Jenny?"

"Yes," he paused and looked puzzled, "Did the instructor not recommend we name our babies?"

"Yes, I suppose she did. But you still need me for this afternoon right?"

"That is correct. Just until I "get the hang of it"." Data had managed to make a vocal illustration of the air quotes.

Data had managed to convince his best friend of five years to join the Family Sciences class with on board the Enterprise. And while Henley had already taken a similar class at the Academy she would have cut her arm off for Data. Although she had warned Data not to take this class and the baby home, he was convinced it would be an "important experience" if he was ever going to reach his goal of becoming human. And to help him along in his journey, she had gone along with joining the class.

The two had met at the Academy and under some unusual circumstances. There was a total downpour one day on campus, and in an attempt to make it to class on time, Henley had crossed a wide courtyard, braving the unrelenting winds. A gust came along, nearly blew a thin booklet off the top of her marine biology books and in an attempt to catch it, papers and all other kinds of odds and ends went flying across the courtyard.

Data had seen the whole scene through a large picture window and hurried out to held collect her things. And then when there was no point at even going to class Data offered to take her back to his dorm, dry out her papers and clothes. She wouldn't have time to go all the way across campus to get another change of clothes, so she wouldn't exactly be able to go with him. But Data had somehow managed to hear that out of the long, breathless, strung together sentence Henley blurted, and gave her something out of the replicator to wear. And so a wonderful friendship was born.

The male cadets were always pestering Henley, not that is was threatening necessarily, but sometimes it just got downright creepy with a few select young men. But Data had always been there to rescue his damsel in distress. Henley always drew attention to herself due to the fact she was lean, curvy and drop-dead gorgeous. Not only did she have a soft, gentle demur, a beautiful face with perfect bone structure, but she possessed striking sea-green eyes that caught all the boys off guard. Her lips were full, perfectly shaped and a lovely shade of pink. She wore her hair as it naturally fell in a straight fashion that curled slightly at the bottom, with her bangs lifting away from her face and tucking neatly back in with the rest of her hair.

She and Data weren't far apart in age either, she was 20 and he had just turned 26. When she had decided to join the academy she had hoped to scrape by with the bare minimums in everything but animal sciences. Data, however was taking any and all the classes he possibly could.

Of course Henley wondered what it would be like if they became more than friends, but she never pressed the issue except maybe early on in the friendship, but since then they had just been best friends.

"I have prepared a suitable place for Jenny to sleep," he told Henley as they entered his quarters. She saw it right off. There was a crib in the living room, pressed up against a far wall. There was a colorful mobile of past Starships, including the Enterprise A and even though it was present (all around them in fact) the C model. She couldn't help but smile; Data was already being a very good dad. She spun the mobile with her finger and chuckled. Data placed the baby in the crib, very carefully, making sure he did everything correctly.

Henley rubbed his back with one hand and smiled at him. "You're doing great,"

"Thank you," he said gently. She walked over to the couch and dumped all the content of the diaper bag onto the cream colored cushions.

"You obviously know what everything here is for, but im going to give you fair, warning, Data, this is not going to be as easy as you think."

"You are correct in saying I am educated in the use of these items, but why did you scatter them all over the couch?"

"I want to make sure we have everything." Henley went through the items and made a mental checklist of the items that should be in the diaper bag. "When does Jenny get switched on?" She asked as she finished putting away the last of the items.

"In precisely 30 minutes."

"Ok. Well, I think we're set but you've got to understand these things will cry for no reason whatsoever. They can be fully entertained, fed, changed, rocked, everything and they will just cry. Are you ready for that?" She asked concerned for her naïve android friend.

"I am fully prepared. I have accessed multiple files in the computer's library on parenting." Data was taking Henley's warning into consideration as she had already had one of these babies, but he was sure he was well equip with information. How could things possibly go wrong?

It wasn't long before a small giggle came from the crib. Data walked over immediately and picked up the little girl doll. Henley kicked her feet up on the coffee table and leaned against the back of the couch.

"Hello, Jenny," Data said leaning over the crib. The audio chip in baby picked up Data's kind voice and registered it as parental nurturing and Jenny responded with a coo. Data gave his peculiar little smile and his head moved to the side an increment. Henley smiled as he picked up the little baby and held it in his arms. He touched her nose and the skin sensors picked up the touch causing Jenny to giggle. He handed her over to Henley and she held her in one arm and scratched her leg with the other hand.

"If I may ask, do you plan to have children in the future?"

"I don't know, maybe," she shrugged. "What about you."

"Yes," he nodded. After a while Jenny started to fuss and she handed her over to Data. He tried held the bottle up to her mouth to "feed" her but it wasn't what she wanted. He went through a number of items in the diaper bag before he got to the diaper and that stopped her crying. They spent the next few hours in his room, talking and taking turns holding Jenny. Spot had been seen slinking around the edges of the room, unsure of what to think of the artificial child. Eventually he wandered over close enough and they let him smell Jenny and he decided she was no threat and hopped up between Data and Henley.

"We should go down to Ten Forward, I'm starving," she said passively.

"There is a replicator in this room."

"Yes, I know that," she snapped playfully. "But it would be nice to get out and about with her. You can get the feel of having a real baby if we go out to a public place."

Data calculated what his best friend had said and stood up. He took the diaper bag himself and when she offered to carry the baby he said it was quite alright if he carried her.

The odd little family walked into Ten Forward and got a few strange looks but eventually took a seat towards the back of the large room. "The instructor said if we put Jenny on a schedule it would greatly help us in our attempt to complete the parenting project," Data said matter-a-factly. Henley nodded and ran her fingers through her blonde hair. "Perhaps it would be an appropriate time to feed her."

"Sounds good to me," she smiled. Henley watched her dear friend intently. Despite being an android, he seemed to be so human at times like these. She had ordered an Andorian dish that she had come to love since being introduced to it by Commander Riker.

However, it wasn't long before their quiet dinner was interrupted when Jenny began screaming her head off. Henley leaned over and gave Data the little rattle that was in the diaper bag. She had been so scarred by her experience with one of these electronic babies she still remembered what the different cries meant.

He looked down and raised his eyebrows thoughtfully as he shook the rattle gently. Jenny stopped crying after only a few seconds and began to coo and laugh. She watched Data and felt something stir in her that she hadn't felt in a long time; butterflies. Her eyebrows furrowed as she went back to eating but she couldn't help but smile when she saw how fatherly Data was being.

Eventually Jenny fell asleep and it was for the best because it was beginning to get late. She walked Data to his quarters and waited just inside the door before she left for her own quarters. "Are you sure you can handle this? I can stay if you need me to," she asked, concerned for Data's sanity through the night.

"Thank you. I believe I am prepared."

"Alright, Data," she smiled as she shook her head. "I'll see you bright and early." With that, the petite little blonde headed back to her quarters and went to bed.

It wasn't quite time to get up yet when her combadge chimed from her bedside table. "Huh?" She mumbled through her sleep.

"Henley, it is Data. I have come to an impasse with Jenny. I have not been able to stop her crying."

"I'll be right there," she smiled to herself. If she hadn't known better, she would have thought Data sounded frazzled. She got up and changed into a long, comfortable dress. She had the day off so there was no need to be in a stiff uniform.

She arrived at Data's quarters and soon after she entered she took Jenny in her arms and sat down on the couch. She spoke to her softly and in a loving voice, trying to soothe her. Data watched Henley carefully, analyzing what she was doing differently than he had been. He realized it was the motherly emotion in her voice. Something strange happened in his circuiting. His head jerked to an increment to the side, trying to analyze what had happened, but there were no abnormalities in his positronic body as he did a quick self-diagnostic.

Just then Jenny stopped crying and fell asleep. Her soft recorded breathing and little sounds of snoring came from Henley's arms. She got up and put her back in the crib gently, careful not to wake her. She looked over and beamed at Data. He tilted his head curiously, something happening in his circuitry again. He would have Geordi check it later.

Data eventually had to leave for duty and Henley was left to her shift of taking care of Jenny. She didn't really care to leave Data's quarters. It was always peaceful and calm there. Henley didn't have many problems with the baby throughout the day, but was glad, nonetheless, when Data returned to take over.

The assignment was over two nights later and upon returning Jenny to the Family Sciences class, Data and Henley were informed they had passed with flying colors and with that, they "graduated" the class. Data had been meaning to pay a visit to Geordi to have a diagnostic checkup, but he had been so busy with Jenny he hadn't seemed to have time. Finally, however, he had a day off and was on his way to engineering to have Geordi check him out.

"Would you just leave me alone," Data heard a familiar voice growl around the corner of one of the corridors.

"Come on, Henley, you know we're friends," a male voice responded.

"Actually we're not. I find you incredibly, and annoyingly incessant.

"Aw, now don't be like."

"Touch me again and I'll take your arm off at the elbow," Henley's audacious voice warned. Data walked around the corner to see Henley and Lieutenant Ford Cromwell at the end of the long corridor. Data sensed something was amiss and made his way towards them. He was almost to Henley's side when Ford reached out and tried to put his hand around Henley's waist. In a fraction of a second the little blonde struck out and slammed her wrist bones down on Ford's arms. He made a angry, pained sound and then glared down at Data's best friend. She puffed up and raised her chin, daring him to try something.

"Is there a problem Lieutenant?" The android asked.

"Oh, um no, Commander," Ford stuttered nervously.

"It appeared as though you and Lieutenant Pinto were having an argument," Data challenged, so subtly only Henley picked up on it.

"Oh, no sir, of course not." Ford nodded respectfully and scurried down the hall.

"Always there to rescue me," she smiled up at Data. He felt the oddity in his system again, but it was starting to make sense now.

"It is my duty as your commanding officer to ensure your safety aboard the ship. And as your best friend."

"Thanks, Data," she smiled reaching out and giving his cool hand a quick squeeze. She started to pull her hand away but felt Data's golden fingers tighten around hers. She looked up at him, puzzled. A confused smile tugged at one corner of her mouth. Data seemed to be studying her eyes carefully and examining every curve and line of her face. "Data?" She laughed nervously, still unsure of what had gotten into him.

He tilted his head to the side a centimeter and she could tell he was calculating whatever he was thinking about. He bent his shoulders swiftly and suddenly his lips met hers. Henley was too shocked at first to even realize what was happening. Before she had a chance to kiss him back, he had pulled away. She looked at his wonderful yellow eyes and smiled a little. Placing her hands on his jaws she brought his lips to hers again and kissed him. It wasn't as mechanical as she had imagined one of Data's kisses would be. It was just like kissing any other guy, but this was also different, somehow.

She startled a little when he put his hands under her shoulder blades and pulled her against his chest. After a second she leaned back and stared at him, too wonderfully shocked to even smile. "Data?" She asked softly. "What's gotten into you?"

"I am not sure. Do you not wish for me to kiss you anymore?" He asked, almost looking a little hurt.

"Oh, no, no, no, Data," she said, grinning now. Henley rested her head against Data's chest and wrapped her arms around him. "It was perfect."


End file.
